There is a concept in many religious/spiritual circles of "sacred time" or Sabbath. For as long as humans have practiced spirituality or observed religion "sacred time" has played a central and integral part to these activities. Sacred time enables practitioners to pause their daily or weekly routine and participate in rituals meaningful to the individual or group.
When we are able to pause our daily activity what happens? In the pause, we are interrupting a flow of thought or activity or intention. In the pause, the physical movement of our body becomes purposeful and less automatic. In the pause of sacred time or Sabbath, it is no longer about what we are DO-ing but how we are BE-ing. Sabbath or sacred time encourages us to breathe, to emote, to hear, to see, to tactily engage the physical space we are occupying right now. BE-ing in sacred time, slows down the frenzy of daily tasks and obligations and objectives we convinces ourselves and each other are necessary for life.
Sacred time and Sabbath keeping encourages me to stay in the flow of life with its daily struggles and unexpected challenges for myself and my loved ones. Sabbath keeping helps me to maintain an emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical equilibrium so that I have the opportunity to be my authentic self even in the hardest or most mundane or most trying times of life.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Thoughts on a Christmas morning breakfast 2017
December 25 2017
I awoke that Monday morning with the knowledge that my family, meaning the Smithville Paffords, were sleeping close by and would in a matter of minutes gather together to begin our holiday celebration. As anticipated, we were exchanging gifts and enjoying one another's company a short time later. As the celebration progressed, Beth and I began preparations for Christmas Breakfast. Every year, once our immediate family has exchanged presents, we break our nighttime fast around a big and ample spread of scrambled eggs, biscuits, bacon and sausage, and hashbrown casserole. Along with the food, we share conversations and predictions of how the rest of the day will unfold as we journey out beyond our home to drop in on extended family.
Serving Christmas Breakfast has been a tradition for us from the very first years we have been a family. At this point, I feel I need to back-track a moment because I have left out a singular and unique fellow participant to our observance of this holiday. A decade ago, in 2007, we invited a guest to share in our meal. We would come to embrace this guest as a member of the Smithville Paffords. The guest I am referring to was Mr. Jerry L. Winfrey, a retired Dekalb County School Teacher.
Over the next decade, Christmas Breakfast would never be the same as our holiday tradition unfolded and we added another space around our table for our neighbor and beloved curmudgeon, Jerry L. Winfrey. these thoughts came to me today when I learned from Beth that Jerry had died at home in the past few hours.
Our family continues to grow with new dear ones we welcome at our table year round. But our hearts will be a little sad next holiday. W e will hold a spot and a plate for Mr. Jerry.
I awoke that Monday morning with the knowledge that my family, meaning the Smithville Paffords, were sleeping close by and would in a matter of minutes gather together to begin our holiday celebration. As anticipated, we were exchanging gifts and enjoying one another's company a short time later. As the celebration progressed, Beth and I began preparations for Christmas Breakfast. Every year, once our immediate family has exchanged presents, we break our nighttime fast around a big and ample spread of scrambled eggs, biscuits, bacon and sausage, and hashbrown casserole. Along with the food, we share conversations and predictions of how the rest of the day will unfold as we journey out beyond our home to drop in on extended family.
Serving Christmas Breakfast has been a tradition for us from the very first years we have been a family. At this point, I feel I need to back-track a moment because I have left out a singular and unique fellow participant to our observance of this holiday. A decade ago, in 2007, we invited a guest to share in our meal. We would come to embrace this guest as a member of the Smithville Paffords. The guest I am referring to was Mr. Jerry L. Winfrey, a retired Dekalb County School Teacher.
Over the next decade, Christmas Breakfast would never be the same as our holiday tradition unfolded and we added another space around our table for our neighbor and beloved curmudgeon, Jerry L. Winfrey. these thoughts came to me today when I learned from Beth that Jerry had died at home in the past few hours.
Our family continues to grow with new dear ones we welcome at our table year round. But our hearts will be a little sad next holiday. W e will hold a spot and a plate for Mr. Jerry.
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